Greens-Labor Agreement
Today the Australian Greens signed an Agreement to support a Gillard Labor Government.
The Agreement was developed in order to establish a basis for stable and effective government.
This Agreement is significant because it formalises Greens MP Adam Bandt’s commitment to forming a Labor Government. It brings Labor to a total of 73 seats in the House of Representatives.
Critically, the Greens have formalised their support for the passage of Budget appropriations and will oppose any motion of no confidence in the Government from any non-Greens member.
The Agreement will come into effect if and when a Gillard Labor Government is established.
In summary, the Parties have committed to:
- establishing a Climate Change Committee by September 2010 composed of relevant experts and representative parliamentarians from all sides who are committed to tackling climate change and who acknowledge that reducing carbon emissions by 2020 will require a price on carbon. (Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott has indicated that Coalition members would not sit on such a Committee);
- establishing a Parliamentary Budget Office within the Parliamentary Library;
- establishing a Leaders’ Debate Commission;
- establishing a Parliamentary Integrity Commissioner;
- agreeing to investigate ways of ensuring full three year terms of government;
- agreeing to address dental care in the 2011-12 Budget;
- reform to political donations and election campaigns;
- agreeing that an implementation study for High Speed Rail should be completed by July 2011;
- holding a referendum to recognise Aborigines and Local Government in the Constitution;
- holding a full Parliamentary debate on Afghanistan; and
- introducing a number of reforms to parliamentary processes such as Question Time.
The Agreement also governs the ‘working relationship’ between the Greens and Labor, including regular meetings, notice of legislation to be introduced, economic and financial briefings from the Treasurer and Minister for Finance regarding the Budget, and a process for the Greens to submit policy proposals to the Office of the Prime Minister and to the Treasury for costing.
Further detail is available in the full text of the Agreement at http://greens.org.au/sites/greens.org.au/files/Final%20Agreement%20_ALP_GRNS.pdf